The Tigers swept the Santiago Canyon College Hawks to continue their undefeated conference run and extend their record to 4-0 in Orange Empire Conference play.
The Riverside City College volleyball team met with the Santiago Canyon Hawks on Oct. 2 at the Wheelock Gymnasium. With RCC being favored over SCC in this matchup, it was time for the Tigers to show out and prove it.
In the first set, the Tigers and Hawks went back and forth with the lead changing between teams every one to two points. Eventually, the score was tied at 24 apiece and RCC was able to score two straight points and put the first set under their belt as a win. The Tigers, led by freshman middle blocker Dani Luna, shined on the defensive side of the ball en route to a victory over SCC in three sets.
“Being a middle blocker, I don’t get to play much defense. But it was my time to shine,” Luna said. “I really look up to my liberos. I am a good reader and I’m always watching when the setters go up, so I don’t struggle to find the ball behind our hitters.”
Luna focused on keeping her team in the right headspace when they were ever down. “When we’re down, we make sure we know what’s going on and we make sure to have good communication with each other,” said Luna. “Communicating between our teammates is key to helping each other as we focus one on one and take each problem one at a time.”
In the second set, it seemed that RCC had met their match as the Hawks began to score point after point and ended up taking a 14-6 lead. However, the Tigers would not go down without a fight.
RCC clawed their way back to eventually tie the set at 21 and finally pull out the win with a final of 25-21. The eight-point comeback was led by sophomore outside hitter Kilyn Hayes who had 15 kills and a service ace.
“Coming out of the first set, the energy needed to be higher, and we knew it was something we were lacking,” Hayes said. “So, in the second set, we knew we had to get our energy up, make sure everyone knew their jobs and followed their assignments.”
Hayes couldn’t take all the credit for the comeback though. “I really think our libero Kailani Caloca set the tone and took control,” Hayes said. “She became a leader and helped keep the energy high and she was the biggest factor in that set win.”
In the third set, SCC faced utter domination from the Tigers and were sent packing with a 25-13 third and final set win to secure the game for RCC. Head coach Clara Lowden was glowing to have secured such a big win.
“We keep believing in ourselves and we’ve got to want it,” Lowden said. “We know to go to more open areas if we start to struggle in another one.”
RCC knew they had to carry their momentum into the next match “Drills in practice help us push the momentum forward and create a good atmosphere,” Lowden said. “It also comes from them as well.”
The team was all smiles after a three-set victory and second-set comeback “The energy from the comeback gave them better chemistry on the floor and they began to want it more, “Lowden said.
With the Tigers extending their record to 4-0 in conference play, RCC has delivered a strong message to the rest of the OEC.
